2024 F1 Spanish GP Qualifying: Winners and losers

The 2024 F1 Spanish GP qualifying saw Lando Norris secure pole position from Max Verstappen. The gap between the duo was less than a tenth, as the McLaren driver snatched it in the end. This was Lando's second pole position after securing his first one in 2021.

In P3, we will have Lewis Hamilton, the driver who beat his Mercedes teammate in qualifying for just the second time this season, as George Russell will start the race in P4. It will be an all-Ferrari third row, as Charles Leclerc was P5 and Carlos Sainz was P6.

The race is not won on Saturday, but in F1, the starting position is a very important part of the overall scheme of things. As the F1 Spanish GP grid is now set, who would be upset at how the qualifying went, and who would be upbeat about what's in store? Let's take a look.

2024 F1 Spanish GP qualifying

Winner

Lando Norris

If there were ever any doubts left that Lando Norris is the real deal, those should be gone by now. What he did in the F1 Spanish GP qualifying is what elite talents do. He extracted the laptime that had not been found until then and used it to beat his rival.

This was Lando doing to Max what the Dutch driver does to everyone. Slowly but steadily, the McLaren driver is becoming the second-best driver on the grid.

Loser

Ferrari

Ferrari was the fourh fastest team in qualifying. Now, this could be a harbinger for nothing, as the team could have heavily leaned towards race pace or this could be a sign of the team losing pace to two other teams now.

The development has not had the impact that the team would have hoped for, and unless we see the two Scarlet cars making their way through the field tomorrow, there might be a few concerned faces at the end of the weekend.

Winner

Alpine

You cannot make this up! Alpine gets into the top 10 on the same weekend that Flavio Briatore is announced as the team advisor. There is still a question mark over how the car performs in the race because if the team has focused heavily on single lap pace, it's going to hurt tomorrow. Having said that, let's wait and see what the team can do on Sunday as it enjoys its best Saturday of the season.

Loser

RB and Aston Martin

RB was caught on the wrong foot because the team brought essentially a new car to the track but could never find the sweet spot with it. Alpine getting two cars in Q3 should be a concern as that team might be RB's challenger for P6 this season.

For Aston Martin, on the other hand, it's all about things going from bad to worse. The team is not in good shape at the moment, and the tag of 'frontrunner' that it started the 2024 F1 season is well and truly gone. The Spanish GP should be a wake up call for Mike Krack that changes need to be made, and this is just not acceptable.

Winner

Mercedes

Mercedes has used the F1 Spanish GP to prove to everyone that the team is well truly back in contention. We still have to see what the car could do over a race distance here because Barcelona can be punishing on that front.

Having said that, for now, the signs are great for Mercedes as the team charts its way back to the front.

Loser

Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri

Sergio Perez has had an F1 Spanish GP that's just too similar to the one he's had in the last few races. Getting outqualified by an Alpine is just not acceptable, but Checo's form has been unacceptable in general. Sergio is making a very strong case against his candidature at Red Bull and this race was just another example of it.

Oscar Piastri, on the other hand, messed up his lap and will start in P10. Having said that, he was never in the picture when it came to fighting for pole position or being a contender upfront. McLaren has been happy with Oscar in general, but when will the breakthrough pace finally show up? The F1 Spanish GP is more or less compromised for Oscar now, as making his way through to the top 5 seems just too hard at this stage.